R/E/P Community
R/E/P => Recording - Engineering & Production => Topic started by: Bubba--Kron on April 14, 2011, 10:38:58 PM
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Ive always been curious as to how 1 hit wonders come to be.
Does the producer bail out??
Is it just a happen stance of everyone being in a certain place and the right time ?
I thought people here would have more insight!!!!!!
Thanks
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I assume you're talking about a hit single, as opposed to album...
Anyhoo...here's a couple of reasons for starters...
It's the only song an artist had that resonates with the listening public at large. "My Sharona" by the Knack for example. I couldn't even name another single they released.
It was a "novelty song"...there is a long history of novelty songs topping the charts - particularly in England. "Birdy Dance" anyone?
Cheers,
Tim
PS. I would imagine that a one-hit wonder has absolutely nothing to do with a producer. Producers don't make hits...the public decides what is a hit.
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Producers don't make hits...the public decides what is a hit.
It could be said that a "hit" making producer knows what the public wants, and produces that product.
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If you throw enough dirty underwear against a wall, occasionally one will stick.
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There are a number of reasons for one-hit wonders:
1. I have numerous albums that I bought through the years that the hit was the only good song on the album, with everything else being total garbage. Most of these are because they either had one song written outside the band which was the hit, or the songwriter(s) happened to only be able to write one good song.
2. The group falls apart during or immediately after the release of the hit.
3. Death of artist or major person in group.
and on and on and...
My favorite movies about one hit wonders-
"The Idolmaker" - Ray Sharkey, Peter Gallagher
"That Thing You Do" - Tom Everett Scott, Tom Hanks
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"That Thing You Do" - Tom Everett Scott, Tom Hanks
That damn song... man what an ear worm. I am pretty sure written by the Fountains of Wayne guys.
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Rick Elias wrote "That Thing You Do", and 4 other songs from the movie. He's a San Diego boy, like me. I didn't know him well personally, but my best friend and bandmate was Tony O or the Monroes. They had another great song in the 80's called "What Do All The People Know". Anyone remember that one? I know that Rick and Tony are still in touch. There was a great live/original music scene in San Diego that was centered around the Spirit Club. Great times...
Here is what Tony is up to these days.
www.hippocketrecords.com
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Here is what Tony is up to these days.
www.hippocketrecords.com
Wow, what a fantastic voice and performance!
If Tony is your friend, you owe it to him to try and convince him to start working with live drums. A song like "Someday" really needs the feel and ambience that only a human hitting things in a room with microphones can provide. The canned ones are NOT working and really kill an otherwise great track IMNSHO.
Sorry for the off topic, unsolicited critique!
Z
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Thanks Zack. Tony has an amazing gift. Unfortunately, for this record, it was either do it that way, or not at all. I thought it was worth it to get Tony's stuff out in some form. I'm playing everything except Tony's acoustic guitar and of course his vocals, and I'm not much of a player! That's a testament to how real he is.
Steve
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Thing_You_Do_(song)
The credits I can find all point to that Fountains of Wayne guy for the main song.
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Oops! I see that you are right after looking it up. Rick co-wrote 4 songs in the movie, but NOT That Thing You Do.
Steve
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...2. The group falls apart during or immediately after the release of the hit...
Yes. It's tempting to speculate as to how frequently it's the pressures and high emotions of the lead up and first taste of success that put one-straw-too-much strain on tenuous relationships in a proportion of bands.
Nevertheless a few of my favourite tracks over the years have been from OHW bands.
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A lot of artists' first albums are the best of a decade or more worth of songwriting. Their second is often the best of several months.
Just do the math...
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A lot of artists' first albums are the best of a decade or more worth of songwriting. Their second is often the best of several months.
Just do the math...
Agreed, Bob. And added to that, the few short months of writing for album no 2 are often beset by distractions and a few "perspective distortions" following in the wake of the success of the first release.